This invention relates to regenerative coke oven batteries and their operation. More particularly, it relates to a single coke oven battery which is constructed and operated as a plurality of individual and separate units capable of independent reversal and heating cycles.
From time to time during the operation of a coke oven battery, due to strikes or other economic reasons, it becomes necessary to operate the battery on a slow-down or stand-by basis.
In conventional batteries, a slow-down is accomplished by reducing the underfiring gas flow and changing the air inlet valves and exhaust stack valves to reduce flow rates in the battery. Such procedures can cause a change in the pressure drop across the air and gas distribution system of the battery. Therefore, the heat distribution across the width of the battery is affected, leading to uneven coking, with one side of the battery being overheated and the other side being underheated.
Another technique is to stop all flow of gas and air in the entire battery for an extended time during a reversal. Such procedure can cause a large variation in byproduct gas flow. This variation, in a steel plant where other operations depend on the coke oven for fuel gas, is undersirable. During the extended off-periods, the excess gas may have to be flared, and during the normal operating periods, natural gas may have to be used to make up the deficit in plant gas supply.